Carried to Calicut, came to
Cananor with a message from the zamorin to Nueva, making excuses for all
that had been done there to Cabral, and for the attempt against his own
fleet at Cananor, and offering, if he would come to Calicut, to give him
a full loading of spices, and sufficient hostages both for his safety and
the performance of his promise.
[1] It afterwards appears that one vessel only was destined for this
particular trade: Perhaps the second was meant for Quiloa. - E.
[2] According to Astley, I. 49. the crews of these four vessels consisted
in all of 400 men. - E.
[3] Called de Atayde by Astley. - E.
[4] According to Astley, I. 49. Nueva discovered in this outward voyage
the Island of Conception, in lat. 8 deg. S. But this circumstance does not
occur in Castaneda. - E.
[5] Before arriving at Melinda, Nueva gave chase to two large ships
belonging to the Moors, one of which he took and burnt, but the other
escaped. - Astl. I. 49.
[6] According to De Faria, Nueva took in a part of his loading; at Cochin,
with a view perhaps to preserve the credit of the Portuguese nation at
that place. - Astl. I. 50. a.
[7] In the original this linen cloth is said to have been made of
_algadon_, a word left untranslated by Lichefild, probably _al-cotton_,
or some such Arabic word for cotton: The linen cloth, therefore, was
some kind of calico or muslin. - E.
[8] According to De Faria, five great ships and nine paraws were sunk in
this action. De Barros says ten merchant ships and nine paraws. - Astl.
I. 50. c.
[9] On this part of the voyage, Astley remarks, on the authority of De
Faria, that Nueva touched at the island of St Helena, which he found
destitute of inhabitants; though it was found peopled by De Gama in
his first voyage, only four years before. What is called the island of
St Helena in De Gamas first voyage, is obviously one of the head-lands
of St Elens bay on the western coast of Africa. The island of St
Helena is at a vast distance from the land, in the middle of the
Atlantic ocean. - E.
SECTION V.
_The Second Voyage of De Gama to India in 1502; being the Fourth made by
the Portuguese to the East Indies_.
As the king of Portugal felt it incumbent upon him to revenge the
injurious and treacherous conduct of the zamorin, he gave orders to
prepare a powerful fleet for that purpose; the command of which was at
first confided to Pedro Alvares de Cabral, but, for certain just
considerations was taken from him and bestowed on Don Vasco de la Gama.
Every thing being ready, De Gama sailed from Lisbon on the 3d of March
1502, having the command of thirteen great ships and two caravels[1]. The
captains of this fleet were, Pedro Alonso de Aguilar, Philip de Castro,
Don Lewis Cotinho, Franco De Conya, Pedro de Tayde, Vasco Carvallo,
Vincente Sodre, Blas Sodre, the two Sodres being cousins-german to the
captain-general, Gil Hernand, cousin to Laurenco de la Mina, Juan Lopes
Perestrello, Rodrigo de Castaneda, and Rodrigo de Abreo; and of the two
caravels Pedro Raphael and Diego Perez were commanders. In this powerful
squadron they carried out the materials of a third caravel, which was
directed to be put together at Mozambique, and of which Hernand Rodrigues
Badarsas was appointed to be commander. Besides this first fleet of
seventeen sail, a smaller squadron of five ships remained in preparation
at Lisbon, which sailed on the 5th of May under the command of Stephen de
la Gama[2].
When De Gama had doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and was arrived at _the
farther end of the currents_[3], he went himself with four of the
smallest vessels to Sofala, sending on the remainder of the fleet to wait
his arrival at Mozambique. This visit to Sofala was in consequence of
orders from the king, to examine the situation of the city and to
endeavour to find a proper situation for a fort, that the Portuguese
might monopolize the trade in gold at that place. He remained there
twenty-five days, during which he settled a treaty of amity with the king,
and had leave to establish a factory; after which mutual presents were
interchanged, and De Gama departed for Mozambique. In going out of the
river from Sofala, one of the ships was lost, but all the men were saved.
At Mozambique he made friendship with the king, who had proved so
unfriendly in the first voyage, and even obtained leave to settle a
factor with several assistants, who were left on purpose to provide
victuals for such ships as might touch here on the voyage to or from
India. Here likewise the caravel destined for that purpose was set up and
provided with ordnance and a sufficient crew, and was left for the
protection of the factory. On leaving Mozambique, De Gama sailed for
Quiloa, having orders to reduce the king of that place to become
tributary, as a punishment for his unfriendly conduct towards Cabral. On
his arrival in that port, Ibrahim the king came on board to visit the
admiral, afraid of being called to account for the injuries he had done
to Cabral. De Gama, knowing that he was not to be trusted, threatened to
make him a prisoner under the hatches, if he did not immediately agree to
pay tribute to the king of Portugal[4]. The king from fear engaged to pay
2000 miticals of gold yearly, and gave one Mehemed Aleones, a principal
man among the Moors whom he hated, as an hostage for the payment.
